Switch



MQCULLOUGH.

SWITCH.

(No Model.)

Patented Jan. 5, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM MCCULLOUGH, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,749, dated January 5, 1897.

Application filed July 2'7, 1896. Serial No. 600,629. (No model.)

ctZZ whom it 'nm l concern/.-

Be it known that I,W1LLIAM MOO ULLOUGH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in switches, and relates more particularly to that class that are auto matic in their operation, or, in other words, that may be operated from the car-platform by any suitable means, preferably by a' spring trip-lever operated by the motorman of the car.

My improved switch will therefore, as will be apparent from the above statement, be particularly adapted to street-railways and has been designed for this purpose, although it may be adapted to various other tracks than those of street-railways.

The invention has for its object a switch of the above-described class that when thrown in position for the car to pass on one track it will be impossible for the switch to move until thrown by the mechanism;

A still further object is to provide an automatic switch that will be extremely simple in its construction, strong, durable, effectual in its operation, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the above and other objects in view the invention finally consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a view of a section of atrack, showing my improved switch applied in position. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the shifting plate and center wedge. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation Fig. 5 is an of the sliding bar and wedges.

underneath plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the series of arms and levers employed to return the switch to the straight track.

In the drawings, a represents the switchtongue, which is of the ordinary construction and provided with a pin Z2, operating in a slot 0 in the switch-plate. Iivotally secured to the switch-tongue a on its underneath side by means of the pin b is a shifting plate or bar d, carrying a wedge e, secured thereto by a pinf. A bar g, carrying wedges 7t h and trip-pin 7t, is adapted to slide in the guide Z, arranged at the outer side of the rail, and a rod 0 is connected to the switch-tongue near its small end, said rod extending across the track and connected to a rod 29, extending in alinement with the track, said rod pivoted near its center, as shown at p, and lies against a rod 0, pivoted at 0 to the rod 0 extending from this point across the track in the same direction as the rod 7" and carrying on its outer end an upwardly-extending pin m, operating in the slot n at the side of the rail.

The operation of my improved switch will be readily apparent from the views of the same that I have shown in the drawings and from the foregoing description; but in order to illustrate the same more clearly we will assume that the parts have all been secured in their respective positions and it is desired to operate the switch, throwing the tongue from the position shown in Fig. 1 over to the main-line rail and thus pass the car onto the side-track. The motorman will lower the operating-rod secured to the car, and the same will engage the pin 70, operating the bar g, which in turn, by reason of its engagement with the wedge e, operates the bar d and draws the switchtongue against the main-line rail. \Ve will assume, further, that he desires to pass on the straight track, and the switch is turned for the side-track. In this case the operatinglever on the opposite sideof the car is lowered to engage the pin m and operate through this medium the series of arms and levers,as shown in Fig. 6, to operate the switch-tongue.

It will be observed that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a switch, the com bination of the switchtongue connected to a bar and wedge and to a bar operating in a guide beside the track, said bar carrying a pin to engage a rod of the car, said switch'tongue also connected by a series of pivoted arms and a bell-crank lever, said arms and lever extending across the track the outer one of which carries an upwardly-- extending pin operating in a slot at the opposite side of the track from the switch-tongue, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a s\vitch,the combination of the tongue, a bar connected to said tongue by a pin operating in a slot in the switch-plate, said bar carrying a wedge engaging in a bar extending parallel with the track in a guide, said tongue being also connected by a series of cross-arms I and a bell-crank lever, said arms and lever extending across the track to permit of the I tongue being operated from either side of the car, substantially as shown and described.

3. I11 a switch, the combination of the tongue, a bar connected to said tongue by a pin operating in a slot in the switch-plate, said bar connected by a wedge to a bar extending par- E allel with the track and carrying in its end a 1 plate to engage a rod of the car, and a series of pivoted arms and levers extending across the track whereby the switch may be operated from either side of the car, substantially as shown and described.

in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM HOCULLOUGIL Witnesses:

A. M. WILsoN, II. E. SEIBERT.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 35 

